


Payment Plan: Fifth Installment

by Indehed



Series: Bride Price [5]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Possessive Steve McGarrett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-01
Updated: 2013-08-01
Packaged: 2017-12-22 02:23:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/907760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indehed/pseuds/Indehed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny was perfectly well aware that nothing came without a price. And Steve's happiness had a price, and that was Danny shutting up and going along with what he wanted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I continue to love all the comments and feedback. The debate has been incredibly interesting to witness, long may it continue, lol... (that pretty much means there's still plenty of dickish behavior to come...)  
> Thanks again to Paulette. If there are still mistakes it's my own stupid fault.

"Ma, _**Ma**_ , would you please…? How can I answer you if you don't let me? I can't talk to you when you're like this."

"I get a phone call in the middle of the night, I let it go to voicemail, and when I hear it the next day it's to discover you're getting married?"

"I was drunk, Ma," Danny squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to rub his hand to his brow before realizing if he did that then he'd drop the phone. Goddamn cuffs.

"I should have picked up. Maybe then this wouldn't be happening. I mean, you couldn't wait until your father and I hopped a flight over?"

"We didn't really think, Ma. I'm sorry."

"Damn right, you're sorry." She sighed down the phone at him. "Well, at least I know he's handsome. And he gets on well with Grace. We didn't even realize you were seeing him, let alone in negotiations. I hope you got a good lawyer, not like that soul-sucking quack you used in your custody hearings before Rachel moved you all out there."

There was silence on the line. Danny didn't know what to say and yet it was clear that his mother was waiting for him to talk.

"Danny?" She paused again. "You didn't use a lawyer, did you."

"No…?" Danny couldn't help but timidly respond in the face of his mother, who was very much like him and a force to be reckoned with, even through a phone. He groaned. "Look it's not like we _planned_ … I mean, there was whiskey involved and it seemed like a good idea at the time and…"

He gave up trying to explain. Because excuses wouldn't cut it, not with his mother. 

Now it was her turn to be silent and Danny could practically hear the cogs working in her brain. 

"Daniel Williams. What. Did. _You. **Do**_?"

"Now, Ma, before you get upset, I know it was stupid, okay?"

"What did he offer you?" She asked, her voice hardened, brooking no argument.

Danny cleared his throat and moved the phone to his other ear. "Ten thousand dollars a year for ten years into a trust fund for Grace and half the value of his house."

"And what _is_ the value of his house?"

"Well, it's Hawaii, which is expensive to live in and he's got the whole beach front thing going on. But on the other hand, I could swear it's not been redecorated since the nineties and there's only been basic repair work done to fix the bullet holes… not exactly something people want to read about in listings so…"

"The value, Danny!"

"Maybe four hundred? For my half." He pretty much mumbled the last bit, somehow hoping his mother would miss it.

"Oh my God, Danny." She didn't miss it. He just knew she was hanging her head, a hand over her mouth in dismay. "You can't match that, honey, does he know that?"

"Yeah, he knows," Danny sighed the sigh of the put-upon. "I think he was well aware of that last night, too." He glanced outside the house to where everyone was celebrating currently without him. 

"What did you put in the pot?" She sounded calmer, maybe it was sympathy for him coming through. 

"I'm the secondary. In the traditional sense. I put myself in. Well… me and my car. And I'm pretty sure the car was included as a joke that drunk me thought was hilarious."

"You are such an idiot, Danny. How do you get yourself into these things?"

"I dunno, Ma. I feel like I got played. I don't like feeling this way, but I signed it, you know? I thought it was a good idea at the time but I didn't really believe this would happen. We were doing this whole 'what if' thing and the next thing I know Steve's got it all expedited through Legal using the Governor as clout and then he's got all our friends over for the traditional ceremony."

"Did you talk to him, does he know all this?"

"Yeah, we had it out earlier on and I can't seem to get through to him. I don't know if he's being obstinate on purpose or his default asshole setting is on show today because he's acting like the cat that got the canary. You don't know him like I do, Ma. He's got marriage hang ups and he thinks this is the only way to get what he wants."

"Schmuck," she muttered, low.

"Yeah, that's him."

"No, I meant you."

He pulled the phone away from his ear for a second to frown at it, like his mother could see his reaction. "You're not helping, Ma!"

"What do you want me to say, Danny, huh? You've always been supportive of secondary rights, of the farce that is the marriage laws in this country. Hell, in some of the States it's just ludicrous. Your father and I were always open with you and your brother and sisters and you've all done damn well in negotiations before and now you go and do this? I get that you were drunk and playing around, but you know better than to take marriage lightly."

"I do and I know, okay? It's just… this is Steve and he has this _thing_. This way about him that just draws you in. He's always convinced he's right and the majority of the time he is. He can be incredibly kind and giving and turn all that around and be hard and unmoving. Determined, you know? He knows what buttons to push. He knows how to deal with me… but I know how to deal with him, too." Danny glanced back towards the lanai, keeping his voice down just in case.

"Then _**deal with him**_ ," she said, adamantly. "Divorce is clearly not an option because of what you've accepted here but get the lawyers in, renegotiate."

"He shoots me down every time I approach him about the terms."

"Don't let him."

"I know. I know," he said as he watched people moving around outside. "I feel a little out gunned is all. Hawaiians are… different. They seem to like this kind of thing. It's not the same as back east."

"That doesn't matter. You've got to both be happy with it and, honey, it sounds like he's still talking you into it. Hell, you're talking _yourself_ into it."

"I'll talk to him. I will. I just… gotta get through the rest of the day." He was tired out, the day was killing him and he just didn't have the energy anymore. 

There was the sound of someone moving through the kitchen, heading his way. He lifted up from where he'd landed, perched on the edge of the couch, and looked through the doorway. 

"Hey," Steve smiled. "Everyone's looking for you. Time for the cake."

"Is that him?" his mother asked, hearing the muted sounds of another voice nearby. 

"Yeah, it's him. I gotta go," Danny answered, giving Steve the best smile he could muster.

"Put him on, Danny. Let me give him a piece of my mind."

"Not going to do that, Ma." He kept the smile on his face, trying to make himself appear casual and not like his mother was threatening bodily harm on his now-husband.

"Put him on!"

"Bye, Ma!" He hung up on her. He really hoped she wasn't going to plague him with phone calls for the rest of the day, or, heaven forbid, try to call Steve. But his dad wouldn't let her once he found out. He was always the calmer of the two and more likely to try and take time to figure things out than go in bullheaded. He was a firefighter, he knew he had to be prepared and have all the information before going into his type of battles and he brought it to his everyday life. 

"You good?"

"Yeah," Danny exhaled. He moved closer, expecting to simply walk back out with Steve but instead the taller man pulled him into his arms and brought his lips to Danny's in a light touch. 

"I'm sorry they couldn't be here for this."

"Trust me, you really aren't," Danny shook his head, thinking about just how much his mother would slap Steve, and how his sisters would spend the time with their arms crossed shooting him daggers. At least, once they found out the details. Before then they'd just drool over how hot Steve was.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve asked, a little bewildered by Danny's statement. 

"It's… never mind, save it for later. You mentioned cake."

Steve leaned down again, brushing his lips over Danny's, kissing him soundly, pressing for entry into Danny's mouth, seeking out his tongue. His hands drifted lower, cupping Danny's ass to pull him closer. After what seemed like many long minutes, he pulled back to breathe and pressed his forehead to Danny's. "I'll never get tired of doing that."

"Yeah?" Danny asked, feeling that pressure in his gut, that shudder through his body as Steve's low words sounded so content and adoring.

"I held back for so long and I swear it just got worse when all I ever wanted was to hold you close and show you how much I cared. How much I love you."

"I know, babe. I felt the same."

Steve kissed Danny again, moaning into the touch like a starving man feeding on him. And it was hell for Danny because he enjoyed it. Steve, like this, made him feel wonderful, made him feel safe in their own bubble. Made him want to be with him all the time, he could be so perfect. And yet, below the surface things were swimming around and he couldn't ignore them, he just couldn't. 

This time Danny pulled back, patting Steve's chest with his trapped hands and said, "Cake."

"Yeah, yeah, we better." Steve turned in one direction, then back in the other before settling a hand at the back of Danny's neck as they walked back outside.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve was behind Danny, pressed close with his arms around him. Both of them held the knife and with awkward movements they cut into the cake to a round of flashes, whistles and cheers from their small crowd. 

It was by no means a cake of any magnitude. They didn't have the time to get one custom made and instead it was store bought. Although by 'store bought' it was clear that Max hadn't gone to WalMart to get it, more like an actual cake store. But it was generic, and wasn't tiered. It was just a cake. 

The knife dropped to the table as Steve moved his weight from foot to foot, gently swaying them both as he rested his smiling face against Danny's temple and got caught up in the moment. In other circumstances, Danny would be right there with him, reveling in the good feeling coming from the assembled guests but after the talk he'd had with his mother, he couldn't bring himself to do much more than a cursory smile and let Steve have his moment. 

He could feel Steve's arms tighten their hold as they clasped themselves around him, warm and scarily comforting. Like Steve was right there waiting to take the worry off Danny's shoulders. And going by their contract, that was exactly his plan. It was just… Danny was perfectly well aware that nothing came without a price. And Steve's happiness had a price, and that was Danny shutting up and going along with what he wanted.

He had so many arguments in his head and he needed them to be ordered so that they could be effective. And he needed to get Steve alone for it. He refused to bring their baggage into the open like this. 

It still sucked though. This was his wedding day and he wasn't getting the enjoyment out of it that Steve was.

"Danny, you're tensing up. Just relax," Steve stage whispered into his ear. "I got you."

Yeah, he did have him. In more ways than one. 

That was the problem. And not just for Steve because Danny was well aware of his own dichotomy. He was happy that Steve had him. He was comfortable and comforting and it felt good to lean on someone rather than always having to be stoic and strong and put everyone else in his life first. If he needed a shoulder he was always glad it was Steve's. And yet, he valued his independence, the fact that he didn't owe anyone anything for where he was… well, apart from his parents for standing by him, helping him through school, college and the Academy. And he fully intended to be there for Grace in the same way. The last thing he expected to do in his life was be so indebted to someone that he put _**himself**_ on the line to pay for it. Even if it was the person he trusted the most in the entire world. Because that power Steve would hold over him - there was no way to know that it couldn't, in the wrong circumstances, become corrupt. Steve had been through a lot in his life, frankly he wasn't always the most stable. Steve was a good man at heart, a great man… but shark cages, roofs, cliff tops, grenades… they spoke for themselves.

He felt pressure on himself to take care of Steve sometimes. Like he was Steve's grounding force. He had always been happy to do it and he would happily continue to do so. He was worried what would happen in Steve's head if he couldn't explain himself properly later. He was worried for Steve, not himself. 

It was all so stupid. Why the hell had he signed that damn paper?

Steve's chin was resting on Danny's shoulder and Danny raised his joined hands to lightly touch his fingers to Steve's face. It was on the tip of his tongue to reassure Steve that he loved him but he couldn't say the words. Not right now. 

"We've gotta try the cake," Steve insisted, his hands now clasping at Danny's hips as he moved himself more to Danny's side. 

"I'm fine right now."

"Come on," Steve said, letting go and now using a fork to dig in haphazardly. 

"I'll try it later when I've got full use of my limbs again," Danny tried, taking half a step back. 

"It's buttercream," Steve tempted. 

"That's your favorite; you should eat the whole thing. Seriously, I'd pay good money to see you bloated after eating something that size," Danny smiled, sinking into the safety of their banter. 

"I'd need to run Diamond Head about twenty thousand times to work it off. I'll have a little bit," Steve assured instead and shoved the fork into his mouth with a happy grin. "Man, it's good," he spoke around his mouthful. He dug back in and took another big piece onto his fork and held it out for Danny.

"I'm a big boy. I can feed myself, McGarrett."

"The jewelry makes it harder right now. Just let me help."

Danny was opening his mouth to laugh out another 'no' as Steve tried to shimmy forward and make airplane motions with the fork, when instead he took it between his fingers and pushed them into Danny's mouth, giving him little choice. 

Danny bent forward, his hands coming to his mouth to help as he spluttered around the mouthful. There were pictures being taken of them playing around and he could hear Kono's distinctive giggle as well as Grace's childlike innocent enjoyment of seeing her father with buttercream and icing all over his face.

"Such a-" he cut himself off from calling Steve a dick, knowing Grace was nearby.

Steve just laughed and pulled him in with one hand on the cuffs. He brought the other hand up, fingers wiping off Danny's face. "You got a little… here…" He gave up on using his fingers and instead just licked across Danny's cheek and then into his mouth, their kiss full of passion and tongue and a messy amount of smiling around the sweet taste.

What broke them apart this time was a hiss from Danny as Steve's hand tightened on the binds, his fingers closing over the red and raw skin, making a sharp pain run through Danny's arm.

Steve looked down between them. "As sexy as it is to see you in these, it's time to get them off."

"Thank you," Danny sighed in relief. 

Steve turned to the others and loudly asked that anyone wanting to participate in the removal toss should get ready.

Steve's tongue played across his lips in concentration as he found the clasp and carefully pulled it back enough to give Danny his freedom. Steve was gentle and careful of the skin as he pulled the metal away. After he'd done so, he held the binds under one arm so that his hands were free to take Danny's and lift them carefully to his lips, placing tender kisses on the damaged skin, all the while looking deeply into Danny's eyes, showing his open emotion. It made Danny's knees weak and could have practically hypnotized him; it was a look he would love to see more of. Steve was usually so much more guarded but here, with Danny, he was melting.

He let their hands drop and moved in to kiss Danny's forehead before saying anything again. "Okay, time to see who can catch!" He handed the cuffs to Danny.

Danny rolled his eyes and marked who was where in their little gathering. Plenty of the older folk had hung back: this was a moment for the younger guests to enjoy.

He turned his back and carefully lobbed the cuffs behind him and into the waiting group. He turned again to find a bit of a scramble. Grace and Max at the front couldn't quite reach as they weren't tall enough, Kono fumbled them backwards and as they fell to thigh height, one pair of hands was able to grasp hold of them. Charlie Fong. He looked rather sheepish to have caught them, considering tradition meant that whoever did would be the next person to wear them. 

Frankly, he was just glad it hadn't been Grace, even if she did look a little sad to have 'lost', but she didn't fully understand the implications of it yet and knowing his little girl and her fierce and strong personality, he doubted she'd ever want a marriage where either her or her betrothed wore the damnable things. No matter who claimed primary or secondary. 

Steve was behind him again, hands smoothing down Danny's arms. "You should eat. I've asked Kamekona to plate some stuff up for you and there's champagne for us to have too."

"Not so sure I ever want to drink again after last night," Danny's shoulders slumped as he was ushered over to a waiting table that was pretty much 'reserved' for the two of them with a few empty seats for others to come and go. 

"People always say that. And it's just champagne."

" _Now_ it's just champagne but this is a celebration, right? Once the kids are packed off home I shudder to think what reserves of alcohol you'll bring out to have a party with. And when that happens, God knows what else you'll have me agree to doing. I mean what's next? Skinny dipping in the ocean, parachute jumping, tying me to the bed frame, huh?"

Steve had the temerity to look like he was seriously considering all three options. 

"Shut up," Danny said before Steve could answer. "I don't want to hear it."

Danny propped his elbows on the table and let his head fall into his hands, his eyes closed. He ignored the food and took deep breaths until he felt Steve's strong hands stroking over his back, rubbing in calming circles. 

"Danny, you need to stop being so hung up on this contract stuff."

"Do I?" He asked, not even looking up and just hoping there was enough venom in his voice to convey his feelings.

Steve's arms wrapped around him; difficult in their seated positions, but a casual observer would probably think it cute that they were sitting this way. Steve leaned his head in close to Danny, kissing behind his ear before speaking low and authoritative. "It's all in place and we don't need to change anything. You'll feel better if you just accept that."

Danny shuddered. This was the Steve that worried him. The possessive one who wanted to bend Danny to his will. He'd never seen this Steve come out as often as he had today. Before it had always been greeted with a roll of the eyes and the ability to just walk away until Steve moved on. That wasn't the case here. Not now that Steve had Danny in his grasp and he had the upper hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> advice to self: run away RUN AWAY NOW!!!


End file.
